The Spartans opened their season playing in a hangar at the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein, Germany, where they lost to Connecticut, and Michigan State beat Kansas in the Georgia Dome four days later. That's the site of this year's Final Four, and the Spartans will have to win twice in an NFL stadium to get there. A month ago, they lost three straight games during a brutal stretch that featured consecutive contests against Indiana (home), Ohio State (road) and Michigan (road). Michigan State tied Ohio State for second place in the Big Ten, lost to the Buckeyes in the conference tournament semifinals and posted two double-digit victories to begin NCAA play. The Spartans outscored Memphis 38-19 in the second half of a 70-48 win in the previous round.

Star player

Michigan State's five starters average between 9.1 and 13.3 points, so there really isn't one. Point guard Keith Appling leads the team in scoring, but he's expected to wear a brace on his right shoulder, which popped out of place on Feb. 6 against Purdue and on Saturday against Memphis. The Spartans' best all-around player is likely 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward Adreian Payne, a second-team all-conference pick who averages 10.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He has a 7-4 wingspan, and his 38-inch no-step vertical jump is the best mark in the Tom Izzo era.

What they do best

It's all about rebounding and defense for Izzo's Spartans. In two NCAA tournament wins, they have collected 34 offensive boards and grabbed 46 more rebounds than their opponents. Payne, 230-pound forward Branden Dawson and 6-9, 270-pound forward Derrick Nix average a combined 20.0 boards per game, a troubling number for a Duke team that has struggled at times to secure defensive rebounds. Michigan State ranks eighth nationally in rebound margin and 23rd in field-goal percentage defense (39.0). Since the start of February, it has allowed more than 65 points in only two of 13 games.

Quotable

"I never even - I (didn't) know that. Thanks for making me worried now. Now I've got another thing to worry about."

- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski after being asked about Duke's 2-6 record in the Sweet 16 since 2002.

Three Keys for Duke

1. Get Kelly in a groove

At the beginning of the month, Ryan Kelly returned from missing 13 games with a foot injury and jolted the Blue Devils back into the national championship picture. But since he scored a career-high 36 points in his return, the senior forward has seen his offensive production wane.

He's averaged 6.25 points per game in Duke's last four outings. He's also missed all 10 3-pointers he's taken during that span.

Against Creighton, he missed all five of his shots and finished with one point. He did, however, have the unenviable task of defending the Bluejays' high-scoring forward Doug McDermott.

On Thursday, Kelly said he's physically fine and that his cold spell isn't a major concern.

"I'm confident in my shot and I always believe I'm going to make the next one," Kelly said.

2. Be ready

The most encouraging development to come from Duke's victory against Creighton may have been the play of its reserves. With Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee in foul trouble, freshman Amile Jefferson and Josh Hairston drew the defensive assignment on McDermott. Jefferson played 11 minutes and helped keep McDermott without a field goal in the second half.

"It was good because they were ready when their number was called," Duke guard Quinn Cook said. "I know it did a lot for their confidence because they got a lot of praise from coach and everybody. We're definitely going to need those guys."

3. Keep the fire burning

There was no debating the intensity that Duke displayed during the course of its two victories in Philadelphia. With fiery huddles and spirited defense, it was clear that Blue Devils were not going to be sent home on account of lackluster effort.

Against Michigan State, the Blue Devils will need to continue to tap into that reservoir of intensity.

"They get a reputation of being a tough team but at the same time, I feel like we're a tough team as well," Sulaimon said. "We have a lot of senior leadership and a lot of pieces that can play basketball and play physical with Michigan State. It's going to be a dogfight. It's going to be a man's game."

On the Scene

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was in the middle of taking a sip from the blue Powerade cup in front of him when he was hit with a question about who his son picked in his bracket.

When the questioner mentioned that he'd heard Izzo's 12-year old son Steven picked Duke to win tonight's game against the Spartans, the coach nearly spit out his drink.

"You're going to cause me a divorce, you know that?" Izzo said. "My wife's so mad at me right now. My son said it to a reporter last week."

Izzo explained that his son filled out his bracket at the breakfast table before the tournament. When it came to the matchup with the Blue Devils and Spartans, he told his father he was conflicted.

"I tried to be a real parent, you know, not push your kid, help them make the most intelligent decisions, like all of us do," Izzo said. "I said 'Steven, I love you man. Do it with your head, not your heart. Don't worry about Mom and Dad.' "

A flabbergasted Izzo said he did just that, picking Duke to advance.

"I love my kid," Izzo said. "He's a skinny little guy that won't be eating for a month if we lose this game."

- Stephen Schramm and Bret Strelow

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